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INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION

introduction Nostalgia describes a sentimental longing for

typography at the time. Places that bring people together

the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal

often provide rich signage and lettering. These signs were

associations. Oftentimes, the typography of our past was

meant to direct, capture, and inform us. Looking back into

encountered at the places our parents brought us to for

the past helps me realize that even decades after its arrival,

amusement. However, we didn’t know it at the time and

industrialization and modernization had a huge affect on

overlooked how it affected us in the long run. Typography

typography and our upbringing. Typography from the past

that used to be inviting and happy may now have a

will always haunt us even as technology moves forward;

sentimental sadness. As I explore different locations, I

more people will grow aware of this nostalgia and want to

recall the feelings of happiness that also resonates with the

restore its artistic merit.

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JOYLAND

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JOYLAND

left in the lurch When you think of amusement parks, you don’t usually imagine yourself surrounded in desolation, desertion, or damage, but rather you place yourself in a setting that is decorated with flashing lights, cheerful tunes, and bold, fun typefaces. Joyland amusement park opened in the summer of 1949 and thrived for a consistent fifty-five years until the ‘joy’ was taken out of it in 2006. Since then, it remains frozen in a forgotten time.

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Bulbs illuminated signs long before neon lights. These signs were meant to be eye-catching and quickly inform people of what the place is about. Joyland’s arrow moves the eyes as it curls

JOYLAND

around the title, leading those to a destination filled with joy.

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JOYLAND

A tag is the artist’s handstyle representing a signature or a short message. In this case, the tags are negative and add feelings of

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abandonment to its environment.

“Without the reader, the text has no purpose.” chris myers

Today, the Joyland amusement park stands as a ghost, decaying over time and plagued with vandalism, litter, and overgrown weeds. Almost no one is allowed to view it because it is a dangerous place and is protected by the city of Wichita, Kansas. The current typography stands alone, and “without the reader, the text has no purpose (Myers 131).” All buildings, signs, and surfaces are covered with tagging from neighborhood gangs. Tagging, which is the simplest form of graffiti, restricts the area and marks a crew or person’s territory. Despite the struggles with vandalism, Joyland still possesses a sentimental beauty in its vintage and damaged form.

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To give a dark spooky mood, this thick typeface combines

JOYLAND

curves with sharp edges.

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“[flawed design] holds its own perfection of image and message and, in its own way, it might just be the perfect message for its time, place, and audience.� paul tosh

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“The lettering does not have to fulfill a utilitarian role but can simply exist as art and contribute to the quality of space.”

JOYLAND

phil baines

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Before Joyland’s abandonment, the typography

the attempt to appeal to children, this style of typography

provided direction and caught the eyes of adventure

has a certain charm and piques interest because of

seekers. Now “the lettering does not have to fulfill a

its imperfections. It is personal and has character that

utilitarian role but can simply exist as art and contribute

is comforting because it is not made by a machine.

to the quality of space (Baines 101).” Many of Joyland’s

Amusement parks have a variety of typefaces from serif

signs are vernacular, or unprofessional and hand done. In

to sans serifs, and even implement ornamental typefaces.

Colors provide distinction and boldness, as amusement parks often choose bold and bright complementary colors.

To be successful, the rides and booths not only had to stand out from the competing environment, but also had Typography from the Fifties is often filled with

to be eye-catching during the day and the night to lure its

small details from the drop shadows to the star within the letter O. The colors are vibrant and the

adventurers in at any time.

first letter of each word is enhanced and stylized.

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JOYLAND

This vernacular typeface attracts attention because it is bubbly and fun. The rounded corner of each letter creates a lighthearted mood.

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death at joyland

JOYLAND

While growing up, rumors spread of several deaths at the Joyland amusement park, however I never knew whether they were true or not. One rumor was of a kid who stood up while riding the roller coaster, and at the time the roller coaster did not have seat belts.

The kid’s grandfather was looking around for his lost grandchild. However, it wasn’t until later that day that the kid was discovered somewhere underneath the roller coaster by a Joyland employee. Because of this, seat belts were built into the roller coasters.

This story may have been a cautionary tale in order to cause people to act a certain way on the roller coaster, but it still sends a sad and scary image.

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a sign of hope Joyland’s vernacular typefaces are in danger of vanishing because the park is closed down. It would be a shame to lose a great piece of the 1950’s history, however there may be hope to save this once joyful amusement park. Alex East is taking steps to renovate Joyland by raising money to fund a ten million dollar project. Joyland is an asset to Wichita, however no one has money to fund it.

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STARLITE DRIVE-IN

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“in the late sixties, wichita had about nine drive-ins. Now there is only one.� gary quick

saving a piece of history Drive-in theaters thrived directly as the U.S. car mania did in the 1950s. Now however, only a few screens remain lit with movies since the introduction of

STARLITE DRIVE-IN

cable television and cassette players. Industrialization and

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modernization changed the way drive-in theaters worked and nearly wiped out all of its business. Because driveins are becoming more rare, it is considered a nostalgic treasure of the past.

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STARLITE DRIVE-IN

signs and lights Starlite Drive-in Theater is the last of its kind in Wichita, Kansas. It is restored and well-taken care of.

However, the loss of business is still a threat. The drive-in

known to be less formal and clean. It is friendlier and less

brings nostalgia into the environment by staying true to the

authoritative than serif typefaces. To display information on

1950’s feel. Many of the signs are lit up because its hours

the next showings, Starlite Drive-in uses pronto marquee

begin at night. The typography around Starlite brings us

letters, which slide in and out of the board to easily change

back to the Fifties before the worries of the new digital

the showings every weekend. This gives it personality

age. The typefaces around the drive-in are completely san

because it is a person’s job to change the type around and

serif with small details and titles in script. San serif type is

worry about the kerning and composition.

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STARLITE DRIVE-IN

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STARLITE DRIVE-IN

Slotted-B theater marquee letters are always all caps in order to be reusable, bold, and distinguished.

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STARLITE DRIVE-IN

Typography is important in the food court.

When you first walk into the food court, you’ll notice the ceiling is decorated with hanging signs. Majority of these signs are san serif and are created on the computer in a tacky or unpolished manner. The combinations of typefaces are typical to those found on any computer. The messages are inviting and concise, which causes the viewer to feel comfortable to serve themselves. The menu also reflects simplicity in its composition; everything is aligned in each column for a quick and easy ordering experience.

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STARLITE DRIVE-IN

Signs are purposely placed at eye level to ensure that it will be shown. Bad use of typography causes further disruption to our daily lives.

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STARLITE DRIVE-IN

“A one-of-a-kind facility, it’s one of the NICEST ones ever built.” gary quick

Starlite Drive-in Theater attracts people from afar to experience watching movies under the night sky for a cheap price per carload. Tactfully placed colored lawn lights and lit signage leads cars toward the ticket booth.

These signs are meant to be read quickly and be seen from a distance. Starlite’s signs are bold, yet polite.

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STARLITE DRIVE-IN

illuminate the night The fifties has a place in its heart for neon signs.

Neon signs were very popular from the ‘40s to its decline in the ‘60s. Conveniently placed in the food center in order to light up the night, these signs attract attention and provide a quick read. It was effectively used in barbershops, bars, diners, motels, and other urban settings. At first, neon lights were used for quick advertisement, but ended up as a mixture of art and advertisement. Furthermore, neon signs with clocks gained more exposure in attracting eyes and sending a message to the viewer.

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KC BOWL

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KC BOWL

changing with time Bowling is essentially the same as it was in the ancient days. However, it was extremely popular during the ‘40s to the ‘60s and technology furthered the sport to be easy to track. Much of the typography within KC Bowl has been modernized “as the need for mass production grew, the use of hand lettering techniques such as painting and carving gave way to industrial processes such as casting or an increased reliance upon a modular means of generating signs (Baines 98).” However, I did find some typography left over from their vintage history. The original sign of Ranch West is done in an older style, and is designed for a cinema. However, after changing the owner and name of the bowling alley, Rick Thurber decided to keep the vintage vibe by incorporating the ornamental star into his sign and putting to use the pronto marquee letters.

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history of kc bowl

KC BOWL

Originally, KC Bowl started as a bowling alley, changed into a movie theater, and eventually back into a bowling alley in 1977 known as Ranch West.

Unfortunately, it burnt down in May 1992 and was later reopened in November of the same year.

With this new building came new developments in technology. Back in the 1950’s, each player would use a single ball per game, however now people use multiple balls that fill up the racks.

This explains why bowling alleys have long ball return racks. The bowling environment also changed with the new age. Bowlers used to bowl in a darker, smokier setting; now, bowling centers are often very clear and bright, unless you cosmic bowl.

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“Some of the most interesting urban lettering juxtapositions occur when the functions of the buildings change while the original lettering remains.� phil baines

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KC BOWL

hit the slotties Bowling alleys usually have amusement arcades for added entertainment. Because of growing technology, arcades became popular in the late ‘70s to the ‘90s. Arcades are rich with a variety of type from neon lights to specialized decorated type. Most of the arcade games are flamboyantly lit up to capture attention and evoke feelings. When you start a game, you may experience a certain mood depending on the theme of the game and the type design associated with it.

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“Everyone is welcome to bowl and Bowling will always continue. Last year, 70 million people bowled across the United States.�

KC BOWL

rick thurber

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KC BOWL

Arcade games often mix decorative typefaces that clash with one another in an obnoxious and bright way in order to add vibrancy and excitement.

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KC BOWL

the lucky sign

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When I went to KC bowl to interview the owner Rick Thurber, I was surprised when he allowed me to photograph this sign, which is lit up with light bulbs. He explained that it was left over from the previous owners. The story behind the sign is that it was originally a part of a bowling show that aired in Kansas City in the 1980s. He didn’t know what the show was called, but said that it may have been called “Strike it Lucky.” However, I looked up old bowling shows and it may have been a show called “Bowling for Dollars,” which aired around the same time. That would explain how the letter ‘S’ is a dollar sign. The typeface in this sign is an exciting san serif because of it’s skewed thickness and mixture of sharp edges and smooth round curves.

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Throughout the building, neon signs further stimulate the excitement and allow people

KC BOWL

to easily navigate the bowling center.

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modernized added technology changed bowling centers

san serif because it is casual and easy to read. One of

for the better in various ways. Because bowling changed

the major distributers of bowling equipment is Brunswick,

with the time and used technology to its advantage, it

founded by Jonas Moses Brunswick from Switzerland.

allowed for larger crowds from all different ages. Like

Brunswick branded equipment has subtle influence from

mass production, bowling centers increased their alleys

the International style, also known as the Swiss Style in its

from maybe four lanes to about twenty in order for groups

typography and graphic design. The designs are clean and

and leagues to get in and get out. Many bowling chairs,

simple, use geometric shapes, and are uniform.

KC BOWL

bowling racks, balls, screens, and lane numbers are often

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KC BOWL

A major development in bowling included automatic scoring, which changed the job of the secretary of the leagues, who usually records, tracks, and calculates the

game

information

by

hand.

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KC BOWL

The Fifties bowling centers often differ from Swiss style by being influenced by the Art Deco and Kitsch period. Art deco promoted streamlined forms and futuristic designs. Most shapes were organic or dramatic geometric shapes, often found in Fifties business signs or neon signs.

Kitsch, on the other hand, was composed of outlandish and vulgar designs that people ended up ironically liking.

Pop Art falls in this category because of its exaggeration and odd mixes of vernacular typefaces with informalities.

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KC BOWL

vernacular meets technology The snack bar at KC Bowl has rich vernacular and digital typography, which is juxtaposed to one another.

This shows that the bowling alley is still changing and using technology to further drive their message. For instance, the television screen menus pair up the name of the food with a photo of it. The digital typefaces on the screens are also more organized and credible than the hand drawn type of the glowing marker board or labels.

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CONCLUSION

conclusion The typography from 1950’s local amusement parks, drive-in theaters, and bowling alleys are meant to be inviting, fun, and casual.

Unlike now, the Fifties was a period of time that was not completely driven by technology. The current success of the business depends on money and whether new technology is integrated or not. The remaining typography of the past will be abandoned, endangered, or integrated. However, we won’t forget the mixture of vernacular type along with clean and inviting san serif typefaces and will still use them today. Before we know it, the typography of our present time will become the remains of the past.

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CREDITS & SOURCES

credits This book was typeset in ITC Bookman and Helvetica Neue and designed in Adobe InDesign and Illustrator. The photos were taken with a Nikon D3000 then edited in Adobe Photoshop.

Special credits and thanks are given to Dominic Nguyen who helped me visit Joyland and let me use his photos of Joyland on pages 6, 7, 10-15, 18, and 19. Also, thanks to the owner of KC Bowl, Rick Thurber, and the Starlite Drive-In, Gary Quick for being open to interview with me and reveal more history.

Designer as Author, Patrick Dooley, Fall 2012, The University of Kansas.

sources Baines, Phil, and Catherine Dixon. Signs Lettering in the Environment. London: Laurence King Pub., 2008. Web. Tosh, Paul. The Uncultured Word: Vernacular Typography and Image. (2007).

Myers, Chris. The Value of the Narrative in the Education of a Typographer. www.wikipedia.com www.starlitefun.com

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